Australian Unions are calling for the Federal Government, in collaboration with States, the business community and unions to set a secure jobs target to guide economic recovery efforts and move towards achieving full employment. In the June quarter, Treasury is projecting the official unemployment rate to grow to 10%. By late 2020 rates could reach as high as 15%. These official rates significantly understate the level of spare capacity in Australia’s labour market, disguising the scale of underemployment and the number of people who have given up on the jobs market. The Federal Government needs to step in and set a jobs growth target. Australian Unions are urging the adoption of a target of 2 million additional secure jobs by the end of 2021. By secure jobs we mean those where permanent roles are the norm and employees are entitled to at least a living wage, paid leave, public holidays, occupational health and safety protections and collective bargaining.
The 8-point plan, developed by Australian Unions, outlines interventions that will support achievement of the 2 million additional secure jobs target and ensure Australia successfully recovers from the COVID-19 crisis.
